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ASHBURN, Va. (CBSDC) — Washington Redskins defensive end Adam Carriker is to undergo a third surgery today as a result of torn quadriceps tendon suffered early last season.

In an exclusive segment on his radio show, 4th & Pain, which airs Sunday morning at 8 a.m. on 106.7 The Fan, Carriker says he’s actually excited about the road that lays ahead.

“This is not a step back, it is a step forward. It is a step in the right direction,” he told me during the taping.

As the Redskins open training camp today in Richmond, Carriker will be recovering in a hospital in Washington.

The defensive end will be on the Physically Unable to Perform list at the onset of camp and an exact timetable for his return is unclear. However, the Nebraska product made clear there is “no doubt” in his mind that he will be back on the field.

Carriker previously said on his show that he is yet to regain full range of motion in his injured right knee. Thursday’s surgery is expected to help correct the issue.

“It’s going to allow me to start rehabbing. It’s going to allow me to start getting strong, more mobility back in that leg, get my explosiveness back and play football again,” he said.

Starting early next week Carriker will begin a daily rehab regimen that includes two sessions with trainers and another at home.

The initial trainer-led therapy sessions will be roughly a hour and a half each. Within three weeks the sessions will advance to as many as three hours.

The independent therapy at home will last between two and three hours each night.

All told, Carriker will spend up to 10 hours each day rehabilitating the knee.

The rehab has three areas of focus: strengthening, healing, and range of motion.

Plans for a swift return have been derailed by multiple procedures, but he is using the adversity as a motivational tool.

“Every time something has been put in front of me … Stone Cold and the Rock, I stomp a mud hole in its candy ass, whatever it is,” said Carriker, an avid fan of professional wrestling.

Having never been on the PUP list in his career, Carriker is unsure what his seventh NFL season will look like once he’s able to join his teammates.

“From what I understand you can go to meetings, you can workout, you can go to rehab,” he said. “I’m going to be doing everything I can. I know the defense, but I’m going to be up on the schemes, whatever they’re changing. I’m going to be watching the film, helping the young guys, talking to the veterans, keeping in touch with them, because that chemistry is key.”

Carriker says he’s excited to move forward and not to mistake his joking personality and radio show for distractions.

“I’m going to crack a couple of jokes, but I’m very serious about what I do,” he said. “I’m very light-hearted because this is a step in the right direction… I’m going to keep lifting and I’m going to be rehabbing like crazy.”